Machine for applying container covers to containers



MACHINE FOR APPLYING CONTAINER COVERS TO CONTAINERS Feb. 7,1939. A. F.PITYo 2,146,347

MACHINE FOR APPLYING CONTAINER COVERS TO CONTAINERS Filed May 14, 1935 3Sheets-Sheet 2 f3 if A il? 64 4 64 :f5

` INVENTOR BY mi?? ATTORNEY MACHINE Fon APPLYING CONTAINER covERs ToCONTAINERS' Filed May 14, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheat 5 INVENTOR @Jaap/@,257

BYv

AT1-ORNE' Patented Feb, 7, 1939 PA'lfENT:l OFFICE MACHINE Foa APPLYINGcomma covnns To CONTAINERS Albert F. Puyo, Clifton, N. J., assignor, bydirect and mesne assignments, to Tri State Cap & Cap Machinery Co.,Inc., Newark, N. J., a corporation ofl New Jersey Application May 14,1935, Serial No. 21,329

r 24 claims.

f One of the principal objects of the inventionV is to provide a machineof this class suitable for applying tabbed container covers tocontainers such as bottles for various dairy products, beverages andother products wherein y peripheral tabs or tongues are formed on saidcovers and folded inwardly to assist in securing the covers on thecontainers.

.Another object is to provide means and methods for applying hoodcontainer covers to bottles and other containersA without the use ofmetallic fastening means.

Other objects are to provide means for applying to containers, covershaving parts pre-coated with cement or adhesive material which include atype that softens by application of heat preferably of low degree, andmore especially peripheral skirt tabs so treated.

The form of my container cover `applying means shown herein includes aplurality of folders of two kinds which are adapted to first fold theskirt of a cover blank down on the container neck to a positionsurrounding it but leaving a certain space between the skirt and thecontainer neck, then to fold peripheral tabs into said space, and nallyby means of the combined action of both kinds of folders to compress theskirt onto the container neck so that vthe folded in tabs resistunfolding of the skirt.

This form of folding means may be used alone or combined with meanswhich effect the cementingtogether of certain of the parts of the Vskirtwhich are. interlapped, particularly withv means for the cementing ofthe folded-in peripheral tabs with the adjacent body of the skirt. One

method of accompl shing this is by pre-coatingv tures of my invention,is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis acentral vertical section of one form of my improved machine for applyingcontainer covers to containers, the same being taken on the 5 line I-Iof Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of part of the same taken on the line2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an inverted plan of the folders and bracket therefor. 10 Fig.4 is a plan of one form of a blank container cover adapted to be appliedby my improved machine. t

Fig. 5 is a side elevation partly in section ofthe same applied on abottle neck.

Fig. 6 is aperspective view of the cover alone partly folded. l

Fig. '7 is an enlarged vertical section as seen on the line I-I of Fig.3 through the folders and part of their operating means.

Fig. 8 is a detail vertical sectiontaken on the line 8 8 of Fig. ',Z,and

Fig. 9 is a section similar to Fig. 7 showing the parts in the positionof the nal compressed condition of the container cover on the containerneck.

Inthe form of the machine illustrated in the drawings, 2 indicates thebase of the machine and secured to the base by suitable bolts (notshown) is a frame 3 formed in two parts 4 and 5 suitably securedtogether, the lower of which contains a vertically disposed bearing 6and the upper of which parts contains a similar bearing 1 in alinementwith the bearing 6. Said bearings serve to journal the upright shaft 9which has a-worm gear I0 secured to its lower part for rotating it. Thesaid worm gear is rotated by means of the worm II secured to anddriven-by a horizontal shaft I2 which may be driven by any suitablemeans (not Shown) Y 40 The shaft 9 extendsbelow the bearing 6 and hassecured thereto a cam .I3 and it also extends above the bearing 1 andhas secured to it at that part the cam member I4.

The bottle or container holding means are arranged in the forwardextending portion 2 of the base 2 and consist of a platform I6 and acentering portion I1, mounted on atubular portion I8 carried in therecess I9 of the slidable sleeve 20,-

to the under side of the base 2, is a lever 26, one end of which entersthe slot 2l of the sleeve 20 so as to reciprocate the same, and it hasan anti-friction roller 29 at the other end bearing in the groove 30 ofthe cam I3 which causes the oscillation of said lever.

Secured to the lower portion of the part 5 of the frame is a bracket 32and integral therewith is an upwardly and vertically disposed sleeve 33having bearings 34. Slidable in said bearings is a rod 35 having a head36 at its lower end, while its upper end is screw threaded at 31 toreceivea screw threaded collar 39 having an annular groove 40 and lockedin position by a nut 39'.

There is a bracket 4I secured to the upper portion of the frame part 5and on said bracket are pivoted the levers 42 and 43 by the pivots 44and 45 respectively. The lever 42 has an anti-friction roller 41 at oneend by which it is oscillated by means of the upper cam surface I4 ofthe cam member I4, being pressed against the same by means of the spring48. The other end of the lever 42 has a stud 49 secured to it whichengages in the groove 40 of the collar 39 and thereby causesreciprocation of the rod 35.

The head 36 of the rod 35 has an initial position slightly -below thelower ends of the folders and when a container is placed on the platformI6, which is caused to rise by reason of the movement of the cam I3, themouth of the container with a blank cover thereon engages with the head36 and the latter then moves upward until it reaches the end surface ofthe lower bearing 34.

The bracket 32 has an enlarged portion 5I surrounding the lower bearing34 and said portion has a series of vertically disposed slots 52.Mounted on xed pivots 53 arranged transversely across the slots 52 isaseries of folders 54, 55, for folding the covers on the containernecks. There are spring plungers 56 which press outwardly the lowerparts of the folders and inwardly the antifriction rollers 54a, 55a,which are rotatlvely mounted on the upper ends of the respective folders54, 55, and by means of which they are operated as the cam elements 51,58, are moved against them. The elements 51, 58, are mounted on themember 59 which is slidable on the outer surface of the sleeve 33 andcaused to move thereon by movement of the lever 43 which has ananti-friction roller 60 moved by the cam surface 6I of the cam memberI4. 'I'he other end of the lever 43 has a stud 62 entered into thegroove 63 of the member 59 which is moved thereby.

'I'he folders are of two kinds, alternating with each other around theaxis of the rod 35. One kind, 54, folds down and sets every secondsection of the skirt of the container cover. The other kind 55, foldsdown and sets the alternate sections including the folding of the tabsbetween the body of the skirt and the container neck. In this form ofthe machine each kind of folders numbers four. The folders 55 diier fromthe folders 54 in having the tab supporting and folding slides 64, butboth have concave parts 65 for setting the skirts. The folders 54 havefolding edges 66 which do not function altogether the same as the lowerinner edges of the folders 55. The folders 55 have L-shaped parts 61 inwhich the slides 64 can move and the latter have slightly turned up endparts 64'. 'I'he slides 64 are normally'pressed toward the containers bysprings 68 through the medium of pins 69.

Heating elements 1I in the form of electric coils are placed in pockets12 of the folders 55, said coils being provided with conductors 13connected to a suitable source of electrical supply.

Any suitable form of blank holder may be used with my improved coverapplying machine but the form of such blank holder forms no special partof my present invention. I have therefore shown a simple form of blankholder which is adapted to receive the blanks one by one by hand ormachine. It consists of a base plate 15 secured to an extension 16 ofthe frame part 4. The said base plate has a gap 11 open at the front andhaving a shelf 18 on which the blank can rest. A top plate 19 alsohaving a gap 80 is secured to the plate 15 and a groove 8| is thusformed in which the peripheral parts of the blank can rest while thecentral part is in the gap 11. It is' to be understood that moreelaborate forms of blank holders are ordinarily used, such for instanceas a form connected with a reel for a roll of blanks with suitableguideways and feeding mechanism connected in synchronism with thedriving mechanism of my present machine.

'I'he type of container cover or hood ordinarily operated upon isillustrated in Fig. 5, and Fig. 4 illustrates the blank for the same.Fig. 6 shows it partly folded. A indicates the central or containermouth covering portion, defined by scorings a, s indicates the skirtwhich is dened by scorings s and has sections u which are untabbed, andsections v which have tabs and t indicates the tabs thereof. The cementor adhesive covered parts are indicated by w.

rlhe operation of the machine is as follows:

A container such as the bottle B is placed on the platform I6 in aposition indicated by B wherein the platform I6 is at its lowestposition and the head 36 of the rod 35 is then also in its lowestposition or immediately over the blank holder 15 and a blank is lying inthe holder therefor. The platform I6 is now raised by means of thesleeve 20, lever 26, and cam I3, and the bottle mouth is pushed againstthe cover blank c, forcing itvagainst the head 36. The latter is nowraised yby means of its rod 35, lever 42, and cam surface I4 of the cammember I4 to the position shown in Fig. 1. 'I'he four folders 54 duringthis time remain in the position shown in Fig. 1, together with thefolders 55 and slides 64, and the skirt s of the blank is pressedagainst the parts 66 of the folders 54 and the ends of the slides 64 ofthe folders 55, causing the untabbed sections u of the blank to bepushed down to the position u' as shown in Fig. 6. The tabbed sectionsassume the position shown at v in that ligure. The folders 55 now moveinwardly and the lower parts or slides 64 assume the position shown inFig. 7, the slides 64 and curved parts 65 of the folders causing thetabs to move in between the .body of the skirt and the container neck asindicated, particularly behind the pleats p. All of the folders are nowmoved inward by the downward movement of the elements 51, 59, to theposition indicated in Fig. 9, compressing the lower part of the skirt,and the tabs t being folded in behind the pleats p prevent unfolding ofthe skirt. The cement or adhesive at w is now heated by means of thecoils 1I and the adjacent parts of the folders 55, which are also heatedby said coils. The cement w soon cools, thus rendering the containercover tamper proof without the use of metallic fastening means. Pulltabs M may be provided in the blank which on being pulled upwardly alongthe parts m serve to remove the hood when it is desired to use thecontents of the container.

The cam elements 51, 58, are made with a cerv means for pressing theskirt body into final union with said cemented element.

2. Tabbed container cover applying mechanism, embodying a plurality offolders of two/ kinds fixed against rotation around the cover andeifective to press down parts of the skirt of `a container coversubstantially at right angles to Vsections and the other kind to foldtabbed skirt sections and having folding and pressing portions effectiveto move a skirt tab between the container neck and the body of the skirtand vto secure it thereto.

4. Tabbed container cover applying mechanism, embodying skirt foldingmeans which include folding ,devices of different kinds, one of saidkinds effective to fold down tabless skirt sections and the other kindto fold tabbed skirt sections and including a movable folding andpressing portion and a slidable tab folding portion for moving a skirttab betweei the body of thev skirt and the container neck.

5. A machine for applying tabbed container covers to containernecks,comprising blank supporting means, container holding means cooperativetherewith, skirt body folding means, and

means for folding a skirt tab between the body of the skirt and thecontainer neck, said two folding means being effective to finally bringthe skirt parts into-compressed condition.

6. A machine for applying to containers, covers having peripheral tabspre-coated with heat softening cement, comprising cover blank supportingmeans, container holding means cooperative therewith, skirt body foldingmeans, means l for folding peripheral tabs between the body of coverstcontainer necks, embodying folders of two kinds, one kind for foldingthe tabbed sections of the skirt, the other kind for folding theintermediate sections, those of the first-named kind including separatemovable parts adapted for suppdrting the tabs when in part foldedposition.

9. Container cover applying mechanism em- 'bodylng a plurality of skirtfolders of two forms,

one form arranged for folding pre-cement-coated tabbed skirt sectionsand one form arranged for folding intervening skirt sections, and meansfor producing a cemented junction between the cement-coated tabbed skirtsections and adjacent skirt parts.

10. Container cover applying means embodying a plurality of movablefolders arranged around an axis, alternate folders having L-shapedportions at their .lower parts, slides on the L-shaped portions, heatingmeanson said portions above the slides, and means for actuating thefolders and slides.'

l1. A machine for applying to containers, covers havingpre-cement-coated skirt elements and embodying automatic container coverapplying means having folders fixed against rotation around the coverand including means for bringing one of said pre-coated elements betweenthe skirt body and the container neck, and heating means cooperative insecuring it to an adjacent skirt element.

12. Container cover applying means embodying a plurality of movablefolders arranged around an axis, alternate folders having L-shapedportions at their lower parts and coil cavities'above the' same,electric coils in said cavities, slides on the L-shaped portions, andactuating means for the folders and slides.

13. Container cover applying means embodying a plurality of movablefolders arranged around an axis, slides at the lower partsl of alternatefolders, `springs to move the slides toward the containers, and means toactuate the folders and the reverse movements of the slides.

14. Container cover applying means embodying a'pluralityof movablefolders arranged around an axis, alternatefolders having ways at theirlower parts, movable members in said ways vgoverned in position bycontact against the container necks, and actuating means for saidfolders and said members.

15. Mechanism for applying covers to containers embodying movablefolders of two kinds, one kind for folding tabbed sections of the coversand one kind for folding tabless sections of the same, movabletabfolding elements on the folders for tabbed sections, and actuatingmeans for the folders and tab folding elements.

16. Mechanism for applying tabbed container covers to containersembodying movable folders of tw kinds arranged around the containeraxis, one kind for folding tabless sections of the covers and the otherkindI for folding tabbed sections of the same, the folders of the latterkind each having a movable main portion, means for actuating all of thefolders, and a plurality of folding elements respectively on and movabletransversely to said main folder portions. l

1'7. Mechanism for applying tabbed container covers to containersembodying a plurality of movable folders of two kinds, one kind forfolding tabless sections of the covers and the other kind for foldingtabbed sections of the same, the latter kind having pivoted main'portions, a plurality of tab folding and supporting members carriedrespectively by said main portions and movable relatively thereto, andmeans for actuating all of the folders.

18. A machine for applying covers to containers embodying containerholding means, and means ffor applying tothe containers skirted hoodswith peripheral tabs pre-coated on the lower sides of the blanks withcement that softens by heat, said means including movable folders spacedaround the container and means at the lower parts of alternate foldersfor folding the tabs between the container neck and the body of theskirt with the cement on the tabs outward of said neck, said alternatefolders having means for applying heat to the outside of the skirt, andall of the folders adapted to exert pressure on the skirt for securingthe tabs to the adjacent skirt parts.

19. In a container cover applying machine, a plunger movable positivelydownward to a predetermined position and movable positively upward tothe tab folding position, cam means to cause the plunger movement, coverblank supporting means, movable container holding means, means toactuate the container holding means adapted to move the container upwardagainst the cover blank and to bring said blank against the plunger,skirt folding means including means embodying a pivoted main folder anda slide thereon to fold a peripheral tab between the container neck andthe body of the skirt, and means to actuate the skirt folding means.

20. Container cover applying means embodying a plurality of movablefolders arranged around a container axis, means to cause relativemovement between the container and folders, slides at the lower ends ofalternate folders movable transversely thereto, means to actuate thefolders, and means to move the slides toward and from the containers.

21. The method of applying to a container, a skirted cover having `aplurality of skirt sections and peripheral tabs on alternate sectionsprecoated on their under sides with cement that softens by heat,consisting in placing the cover blank centrally on the container mouth.moving the skirt sections individually down around the container neckforming a space between the body of the skirt and the container neck,moving the peripheral tabs individually upward to lie in said y spacebetween the skirt body and the container neck so that the cement on thetabs lies outward of the container neck, heating the tabbed sectionsindividually and compressing all of the skirt sections against thecontainer neck and causing adhesion of the tabs to the adjacent skirtparts.

22. Container cover applying mechanism embodying a plurality of skirtfolders, certain of said folders arranged and adapted for folding tabbedskirt sections, certain others arranged and adapted for folding untabbedskirt sections, means for operating al1 of said folders, means forfolding the tabs of the tabbed skirt sections.

between the body of the skirt and the container neck, and means forproducing a cemented juno tion between the tabs and adjacent skirtsections.

23. Container cover applying mechanism embodying a plurality of skirtfolders of two forms, one form adapted and arranged for foldingprecemented tabbed skirt sections and carrying means for bringing thetabs of said sections between the container neck and the adjacent skirtparts and one form adapted and arranged for folding tabless skirtsections, means for actuating all of said folders, and heating means forthe folders of the first form whereby the tabs are caused to adhere tothe adjacent skirt parts.

24. The method of applying to a container a multi-sectioned skirtedcover having peripheral tabs pre-,coated with suitable cement,comprising, in first placing the cover blank on the container mouth,moving the skirt sections down around the container neck, moving thetabs upward to lie between the skirt and container neck so that thecement on the tabs lies outward, and pressing the cement-coated tabs andthe adjacent skirt parts together and forming a junction therebetween.

ALBERT F. PITYO.

